The man charged with fatally shooting three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, could be put to death if he is found guilty, a state judge ruled on Monday.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46,
was indicted in February by a North Carolina grand jury on three
counts of first-degree murder and one count of discharging a
firearm into an occupied dwelling. He stands accused of killing his neighbors Deah Shaddy
Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister Razan
Abu-Salha, 19.

Hicks turned himself into police shortly after the shooting, with
debate swirling over whether his actions constituted a hate
crime. Police have said that a disagreement over parking space is
possibly behind the incident

In court on Monday, prosecutors said they discovered Hicks’ blood
on one of the victim’s pants as well as gunshot residue on Hicks’
hands, Reuters reported. Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson
ruled that based on all the evidence presented thus far, Hicks
could face the death penalty if he’s convicted, according to
local WRAL.

During the shooting, Barakat was allegedly struck by Hicks
several times, including in the head, while Yusor and Razan
watched, Durham County Assistant District Attorney Jim Dornfried
said at the hearing. The two women were then shot by Hicks, who
went on to shoot them each in the head when they did not
immediately die, Dornfried added, according to WRAL.

The victims’ relatives have been adamant that Hicks killed the
three students because they were Muslim and have pressed
officials to charge him with a hate crime. Hicks had also
routinely posted anti-religious comments on his Facebook page.

Judge rules that Craig Hicks' case (killed 3 Muslim American
students in Chapel Hill) will be a death penalty case. pic.twitter.com/JJNrC11IbI

“I can say with my absolute belief that this incident had
nothing to do with religion or victims’ faith, but was, in fact,
related to the long-standing parking disputes that my husband had
with the neighbors, our neighbors of various religions, races and
creeds,” she said.

Yousef Abu-Salha, the brother of Yusor and Razan, told RT that
Hicks frequently “harassed” his sisters and Barakat.

“There were plenty of run-ins [with Hicks],” he said,
“but the run-ins escalated when my sister moved in; she
obviously wore the head scarf. I recall her telling me when she
first went to visit the condo before she even moved in together,
[Hicks] came and knocked on the door and told them they were
making too much noise, and he brandished a gun at his
waist.”